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12 Things You Should Know About Physical Therapy . Application Process PT School By Zach Hall PT, DPT. A little about me. I am Aaron Hall’s older brother I am a WSU alumni from 2008 I just graduated from PT school in Aug 2012 form AT Still University in Mesa, AZ

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12 Things You Should Know About Physical Therapy

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What do all those letters mean after their name? – (COMT? FAAOMPT? CHT? ZZUCRU!)

Most of info on this slide can be found on PT school websites, but get ready to research

4. What do they ask in the interview/how do I prepare!?

They ask about you…

What are your strengths/weaknesses as student/person?

Why are you interested in PT?

Why are you interested in this school?

Why did you get such a low score in chem? On the GRE? In Bruya’s 199 class?

Interview Tips

Make eye contact

Practice interview questions (googlesome or search APTA/PTCAS)

It is okay to pause for a second to gather your thoughts

Take a deep breath (breathing is important)

If you don’t know about something they ask, don’t make a song and dance up on the spot (they will know).

Tell them you don’t know but go on to say how you would go about looking it up to learn more, how you would be interested in hearing more about the topic after your interview, what resources you could use to look up more info on the topic. This looks way more professional than sweating, making something up or passing out!

Be prepared to get hammered or surprised by a question!

Be prepared to think on your feet a little, sometimes they will ask weird questions like if you could be any animal what animal would you be and why, just to see how you react and how well you think on your feet (the correct answer of course is a COUGAR!)

5. Tips for Application Process

Hedge your bets

Schools are very competitive

When I applied we accepted 62 students out of about 960 applicants. In other words 6.4% of those who applied got in.

Apply to as many as you feel you can afford or want to go to. The application process can be very expensive!

Get your applications in early!!!

Some schools operate on rolling admission or rolling interview process. In other words first come, first accepted (if you meet their criteria)

Apply to a variety of schools (in state, out of state, private)

In state students have best chance of getting into in state schools

Best chance of getting into school is private but watch out!... They are also the most expensive!

6. What happens if I Don’t get in to PT school the First time?! =(

Don’t sweat it!

Keep plugging away – ask the schools what areas they would like to see your application improve in and then get to work on improving those areas

Get a job as a PT tech – you get get paid for getting observation hours… best of both worlds!

Keep in touch with the school’s admissions office/officer – this will show the school you are dedicated

7. What is the real cost of school?

In state tuition<out of state tuition <<private school tuition.

In state will be cheapest – EWU, and that gross unmentionable school in Seattle…(although not really that cheap)

Out of state, state schools next – UNLV, NAU

Private Schools are mucho expensive! – UPS, ATSU, USC

Tuition is usually between $20,000 - $45,000/ yr

7. What is the real cost of school?

Very hard (although not impossible) to work during PT school so don’t forget about other expenses

Cost of living per city (living in San Diego, although, nice, will cost more in loans than living in Spocompton)

Living: Food, rent, coffee, more coffee, etc.

School: Books, lab clothes, special fees, rotation fees

This can all add up quickly, and although loans will cover it, remember that you have to pay it back; so plan appropriately!

8. What types of loans are available to Graduate Students?

Kiss those Grants good bye – most schools and states don’t give out grants for grad school

These are the types of loans I was able to get, other schools may vary (contact the financial office of the school you are interested)

Find scholarships (again contact financial aid offices at schools you are applying for to get help)

9. Now that I am in PT school…how hard is it going to be?

No lies, PT school is tough!

But, honestly, it is not the material itself that is tough, it is instead the amount of material you are expected to learn that gets ya.

Learn to love your library

Having 2 tests per week was an easy week, it was those week you had 5 tests and a paper due in a week that began to run up a Starbucks bill

PT school, to me, was much more interesting than most undergrad classes so it made studying easier

You finally get to study the things you are interested in, instead of why magnets are attracted to each other or gened 110

10. What classes will I take?

Physical therapy school prepares you to work in all disciplines of our profession. Thus, there are many different classes you will take, which include:

Manual therapy- Documentation

Orthopedic- Physiology

Neurology - Pharmacology

Anatomy- Acute Care

Research- and many more!

Wound Care

Pediatrics

Geriatrics

11. What Types of tests should I expect?

Expect multiple choice, written, and practical tests

I am sure you are familiar with the first two..

Practical tests usually consist of testing your ability to apply what you have learned into treating a real live patient (or in most cases a patient scenario)

These tests at my school consisted of professors acting out real patient diagnoses and grading you on a half hour examination, evaluation, and treatment of the patient.

First couple will make you sweat but then you get used to them…

12. What are rotations?

All PT schools are required to send students on rotations. This is where you get your hands dirty and work under the supervision or a licensed PT.

You are required to complete rotations in a variety of settings (out patient ortho, acute care, neuro rehab, in-patient rehab) so don’t expect to get them all within one discipline.

At my school our entire 3rd year was all rotations with other shorter rotations in the 1st and 2nd years

Overall we had about 40-42 weeks of rotations in my 3 years.

I believe most schools will let you do rotations in any state

Helpful PT Resources

Here are some good websites for answers:

www.ptcas.org

www.apta.org

www.orthopt.org

http://studentaid.ed.gov/

That of your local PT (e.g. www.pullmansportspt.com/)

Thanks and Good Luck!!!

The field of Physical Therapy is a great and growing profession with amazing job security. It also provides an opportunity to meet and network with a variety of people in the community while you provide care to those with injuries. It is a profession that is mobile, diverse and continuously changing.

If you guys have anymore questions feel free to email me at [email protected], and good luck with the application process!